Politicians in Tanzania are reeling from the shocking massacre of hundreds of young protesters during the recent election, insiders shared with AFP. However, many are hesitant to voice their concerns as a small group of hardliners surrounding the president tightens its grip on power.
There are some really disturbing images of deceased Tanzanians circulating online after the elections on October 29, which sparked a lot of protests against government repression.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan officially took the win with 98 per cent of the vote, though some important opposition leaders ended up jailed or disqualified.
The opposition claims that over 1,000 people lost their lives as security forces suppressed the protests during a five-day internet blackout.
It’s been two weeks now, and the government still hasn’t released any casualty numbers.
“On Tuesday, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk mentioned that there are some pretty disturbing reports about security forces. They’ve been spotted taking bodies from the streets and hospitals to places that aren’t disclosed, seemingly trying to hide evidence,” he said.
A senior official in the Tanzanian government, clearly shaken by the events of the past two weeks, agreed to chat with AFP.
An official mentioned that publishing their name could lead to dire consequences, but they did share coordinates for two suspected mass grave sites close to Dar es Salaam, specifically at Kondo and Mabwepande. But, you know, we couldn’t really verify these on our own.
Samia’s small group running the government
A small group close to President Hassan is now in complete control of power and repression in the East African country, according to both an official and a former presidential advisor, who preferred to remain anonymous.
“The folks in the government are just stunned… it’s hard to believe,” the official said. “It’s a shame that no one seems to have the courage to speak up…” “But you know how people can whisper,” they said.
AFP has chatted with several eyewitnesses who shared their experiences of seeing people shot at point-blank range by police and some unidentified armed men.
One person talked about a bystander who was shot in the head by a soldier in Dar es Salaam on election day. The following day, he witnessed three individuals standing in a queue and getting shot “five or six times” in the legs by the police.
The opposition is planning new protests for Independence Day on December 9. “Honestly, we’re just not sure what to do,” the government official admitted. Are we looking for more demos? No, because the young people are going to face execution again.
The Suluhu’s Cabal comprises
According to two government sources, the president’s circle includes her son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir; her private secretary, Waziri Salum; the head of the intelligence service (TIS), Suleiman Abubakar Mombo; and a lesser-known member of the East African parliament, Angela Kizigha.
“There’s this really small group that’s been informing and influencing the president and basically running the country,” said the former presidential advisor.
“It’s something we’ve never seen before and really not typical for Tanzania,” they added. It seems like everyone else has just been totally left out.
The violence kicked off over a year ahead of the elections, with critics facing attacks, kidnappings, and even murders.
An official mentioned that Hassan’s son, Abdul, has “a private militia, and most people think that’s the one involved in the abductions from the start.”
The government says it’s not responsible for the abductions. We reached out to the spokespeople for comments on this article, but unfortunately, we didn’t hear back from them.
Before the election, the Tanganyika Law Society noted 83 abductions during Hassan’s time in power, but they mentioned that the number of reported disappearances rose sharply in the last days of the campaign.
There were some notable cases, like Humphrey Polepole, the former government spokesman and ambassador, who went missing from his blood-stained home on October 6. This happened right after he resigned in a letter that took aim at Hassan’s government.
There were also some unknown folks from little villages, who seemed to be picked out for just a few small online posts.
What’s the deal with abducting a 20-year-old just for speaking their mind? “Come on, you’re the president!” “That’s what the government official mentioned.”
Feeling a strong sense of paranoia
Hassan took over the presidency after the unexpected passing of the authoritarian leader John Magufuli in 2021.
She encountered quite a bit of pushback from her own party, but people celebrated her for relaxing the rules on the opposition and the media.
That initial period didn’t last long, though, because repression came back even stronger in 2024.
“You know, the only thing that makes sense here is some serious paranoia… and honestly, it’s just spiralled out of control,” the ex-advisor shared.
People in power really only seem to rely on one thing… it’s a pretty harsh and straightforward method, honestly.
The official mentioned that members of parliament are always discussing the killings, but they’re really held back by their fear of the security services and worried about how their constituents will react down the line. “You know, it’s pretty obvious that Tanzania is going to be different from now on,” they mentioned.
